Abstract:
Apparatus, including a carbonation chamber, is provided that includes a mixing and metering member and a gas adjustment member. The mixing and metering member is configured to respond to a fluid, including water, and an adjustable amount of gas, including CO 2 , and may be configured to provide a mixture of the fluid and the gas. The gas adjustment member is configured to receive the gas, including from a gas inlet, and to provide the adjustable amount of gas to the mixing and metering member, based at least partly on an adjustable axial relationship between the mixing and metering member and the gas adjustment member in order to control a desired carbonation level of the mixture.
Abstract:
Apparatus is provided featuring a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) having a power circuit component in combination with a SMPS controller. The power circuit component may be configured to provide power to a pump that provides fluid from a container to some other device, including an appliance. The SMPS controller may be configured to receive signaling containing information about at least one control parameter selected from a group including a pressure at an outlet of the pump, a fluid level in the container and the temperature of a motor of the pump, and also may be configured to shut off the power provided to the pump based at least partly on the signaling received so that the power circuit component substantially does not draw power and heat up when the pump is shut off.
Abstract:
A utility pump is provided featuring a housing and battery configuration, where the housing is configured with a series configuration of integral pumps, and also configured with a battery receiving portion having electrical terminals for receiving power for providing to the series configuration of the integral pumps, and where the battery has a protruding portion with corresponding electrical terminals configured to contact the electrical terminals to provide power to the series configuration of the integral pumps when the protruding portion of the battery is inserted into the battery receiving portion of the housing and rotated in one direction to an "ON" position, and also configured not to contact the electrical terminals when the battery is not rotated to the "ON" position.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a pump cartridge, which is directly connected in-line with one or more filter cartridges in a mounting bracket. It may be paired with an accumulator tank for a pump version, and with no accumulator tank for a smart pump version. The inline design reduces the size of the system, the amount of connections, and the amount of hose required to install the system, which in turn reduces the space required for installation, the number of potential leak paths, and the likelihood of failure of the system due to issues with the hose.
Abstract:
A pump includes a signal processor that receives signaling containing information about a low level of a liquid sensed in an appliance reservoir to be supplied to an appliance that uses the liquid to dispense a flavored beverage, and also about when the appliance reservoir is refilled based upon an indication that forms part of an appliance reservoir refill level calibration procedure programmed by an appliance user; and determines corresponding signaling containing information about automatically refilling the liquid in the appliance reservoir, based upon the signaling received.
Abstract:
A pump includes a signal processor that receives signaling containing information about a low level of a liquid sensed in an appliance reservoir to be supplied to an appliance that uses the liquid to dispense a flavored beverage, and also about when the appliance reservoir is refilled based upon an indication that forms part of an appliance reservoir refill level calibration procedure programmed by an appliance user; and determines corresponding signaling containing information about automatically refilling the liquid in the appliance reservoir, based upon the signaling received.
Abstract:
A pump has a housing that includes an inlet to receive a liquid to be pumped, an outlet to provide the liquid being pumped, a pumping chamber between the inlet/outlet; and a motor shaft to rotate in the pumping chamber. The impeller is arranged on the motor shaft, includes radially curved vanes to rotate inside the pumping chamber to pump the liquid from the pumping chamber to the outlet; and includes anti-airlock vanes formed as a set of axially curving vane extensions that extend along the axis of the shaft, rotate with one part inside the pumping chamber, protrude through the inlet and rotate with another part outside the inlet for submerging in liquid to be pumped underneath the pump, draw the liquid through the inlet into the pumping chamber, and provide the liquid to the radially curved vanes to generate pressure to force entrapped air from the pumping chamber.